S7 Airlines operated its first flight from Novosibirsk to the Maldives on 30 October 2026. According to Russia's Transport Ministry, a fully loaded Airbus A320 landed at Velana airport in Malé. The flight included a technical stop at Termez airport in southern Uzbekistan, where the aircraft was refuelled. Travel time was about 10.5 hours, with a distance of about 5,600 km.
According to flight data, the aircraft departed Novosibirsk at 21:25 UTC on 29 October (the morning of 30 October Novosibirsk time), landed at Termez at 00:37 UTC, spent about 1 hour 10 minutes on the ground and departed for Malé at 01:47 UTC. The Novosibirsk–Termez leg took 3 hours 12 minutes and Termez–Malé 6 hours 14 minutes.
Schedule
In the autumn–winter season S7 operates two flights a week, on Mondays and Fridays. According to summer publications, the flight is designated S7 5805 from Novosibirsk and S7 5806 on the return, on an A320.
What happened with the technical stop
When S7 announced the route in July, and Russia's Transport Ministry as recently as 13 October, a technical stop at Jaipur (India) was named, without passengers changing aircraft. On the actual first flight the stop was made at Termez. The day before, on 29 October, Uzbekistan Airports said it was ready to provide handling for S7 flights at Termez: the airport is named as the place for refuelling and ground handling on the Novosibirsk–Malé–Novosibirsk route. The reason for replacing the stop is not given in the reports.
What else is under discussion
According to Uzbekistan Airports as cited in publications, the use of Termez for technical stops on other S7 international routes is being considered, as well as a possible direct Novosibirsk–Termez flight. These matters are still being worked out, with no decisions.
Russia–Maldives market
According to Russia's Transport Ministry, Aeroflot operates about nine flights a week from Moscow to Malé. Russian carriers plan at least 18 flights a week to the Maldives in winter.
What has not been announced
The refuelling volume, fuel supplier, stop duration in the schedule, payment and servicing terms, passengers' status at Termez (remain on board or not), contracts and fares have not been named. It is not announced whether Termez will be a permanent stop for the whole season. This is a technical stop, not a new passenger route: ticket sales for Novosibirsk–Termez have not been announced.
Our assessment: for Termez this is a new kind of load: an airport that has already grown 48% in passengers over nine months this year receives transit refuelling stops of long-haul flights. For Uzbekistan Airports this is a chance to earn on ground handling and fuel without its own passengers. But there is no data on revenue, contracts and timelines, and Jaipur was until recently the stated option. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by S7 or Uzbekistan Airports.
What businesses can do. Fuel suppliers and ground handling companies in Termez should check what capacity regular technical stops require. Other Russian airlines flying south may see technical stops in Uzbekistan as a commercial alternative. Tour operators selling the Maldives from Siberia should note that the flight operates with a stop and takes about 10.5 hours.